It’s been said that normalcy is just like a paved road or sidewalk. They’re extremely comfortable to travel on, but no flowers can grow on them. And there is another saying positing that the word “normal” is just a euphemism for “average.” I’m not getting zen either, just talking about normal jobs. Many people work normal everyday jobs their entire lives without ever getting rich. But what if you could? How to get rich with a normal job?
You can get rich with a normal job. But you must use a customized financial strategy and play the long game.
But before we answer the question, “how to get rich with a normal job?” let’s first examine “normal” American jobs.
What is a Normal Job?
Before we can learn how to get rich with a normal job, we must examine what the typical American earns with a normal job.
Depending on which source you refer to, the typical American makes about $48,000 annually. And that was before the coronavirus pandemic caused tens of millions of involuntary layoffs. But most Americans don’t make that much.
Some financial experts believed in 2020 that unemployment had reached Great Depression-era levels. It was also found that income inequality between the poor and working class versus the rich has widened to extremes not seen since the early 1920s.
And on top of all that, having a normal job and salary can trap many financially illiterate Americans in a cycle of debt. The typical American is saddled with over $90,500 in debts.
And what exactly is a normal job? Here are the top ten most common jobs in the United States and their corresponding annual salaries:
- Cashier – $29,300
- Restaurant food prep workers – $31,500
- Warehouse stock clerk – $36,500
- Construction worker – $38,800
- Laborer – $39,500
- Janitor – $39,500
- Bookkeeper – $42,700
- Waiter/Waitress – $45,000
- Medical assistant – $46,500
- Bartender – $48,000
For an article titled “how to get rich with a normal job,” those are very normal salaries to start out with.
This strategy is not a get-rich-quick scheme. You have to think about getting rich, especially with a normal salary, as a long-term game. And you should educate yourself about personal finance.
Here is a Harvard University mini-guide on basic financial literacy.
You may also want to talk to a financial advisor to get further advice.
And now, here are some techniques on how to get rich with a normal job.
How to Get Rich With a Normal Job
Pay Off Your Debts
There are no rich people who are deep in credit card debt.
Before you can focus on getting rich, you need to focus on paying off all of your debts. Strive to become debt free before you ambitiously strive to become rich
When you pay off all of your debts, you will have more of a financial security buffer in your life when you start making investments (more on that later).
Pay off your credit card debts in full, not just the minimum balance. When you only pay the minimum balance, you will get stuck in a debt quagmire of penalty payments, high-interest rates, and needing more money to pay increasing debts.
Instead of paying on a monthly schedule, pay off some of your credit card bills whenever you get paid. (You can do that) And try paying off your high-interest credit cards first and aim for your lower-interest cards.
The higher your interest rate, the higher your bills and penalty payments will be if you miss payments or pay only minimal balances.
Keep a Budget
Want to learn how to get rich with a normal job? You must get into the habit of keeping an accurate inventory of your personal finances. You need to know how many pennies are coming in and out of your household.
You must maintain complete financial accountability to build a reliable financial future. How would you know if you are rich if you didn’t know how much money was coming in and out of your household?
A budget will tell you if you are spending your money efficiently or wasting it. A budget will tell you which expenditures you can do without.
Most importantly, a budget can help you figure out how to reach a financial goal.
Keep a weekly and monthly budget. You can start by keeping a spending diary for a week. List everything that you buy and the corresponding price.
Update your budgets if you get a raise or whenever your financial situation changes. You can get some good starter budget templates here.
Save a Percentage of Your Salary
To learn how to get rich with a normal job, you must begin saving money. And it is not an optional strategy either.
And it doesn’t necessarily matter how much you start with. What matters is to start doing it with an amount of your salary that you are comfortable with.
You must consider your needs, the needs of a spouse or family, budget, and overall expenses before you pick a percentage of your salary to save with every check. Take some time to make such a consideration.
How much of your salary can you sacrifice? 1%?
3%? Or 5%? Perhaps 10%?
Don’t just pick an arbitrary number. You need to consider how much of your salary you can sacrifice to a savings account without adversely affecting your necessary standard of living.
You can automate your bank account to automatically transfer a percentage of your salary into a savings account whenever it is deposited.
Invest
Spend time researching investments that suit your interests and personal finances. Don’t follow a crowd. Look for investments of value that are ignored by the investment crowd but are worthy of your attention.
If you make a good investment, you can start making money while you sleep.
And remember that it can take years to recoup or profit from an investment fully.
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Allen Francis was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years with no money, no financial literacy, and no responsibility when he had money. To him, the phrase “personal finance,” contains the power that anyone has to grow their own wealth. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including focusing on your needs instead of your wants, asking for help when you need it, saving and investing in your own small business.